Making Ends Meet
by Sophie Ellem
Summary: Sayuri makes new friends when she moves to a new town. But will stereotypes and bitter rivalries keep her from finding true love?
1. Departure

_Hi everyone! I started this story becauseI wanted to make a story with some of my good friends in it, so here you go. I might not continue it because I am having serious writer's block. I keep thinking of ideas for later on in the story, but I can't think of what to add on for what I have here. Please tell me if you want me to keep updating. If any of you have ever read I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, the plotline is sort of like that, without the whole spy part of it. Also, I used Naruto characters, but it doesn't have to do with the plotline of the manga. It's a high school fanfic._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto (but it would be cool if I did)._**

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**Making Ends Meet**

Chapter 1

On my last night in Suna, my best friend, Mari, insisted that we go to our favorite ice cream parlor. It was so different that it stood out from the other buildings like a sore thumb. The tables and chairs were cherry red, while neon signs spelling "floats" and "sundaes" hung on the walls. It was one of my favorite places in all of Suna.

Mari has been my best friend since kindergarten. When my parents got divorced in fifth grade, I stayed with my dad to be with Mari, while my two sisters went to live with my mom in another country. We understand each other perfectly, and I don't think I could ever have another friend like her.

"Come on, Suyari," she said. "We have to go to the parlor before you leave."

Suyari. My dad had given my name to me, and that's why I love it. "You're my little lily," he would always say. Now, don't get me wrong, my dad isn't dead. He's still alive and kicking, but when you move to a different country, you find yourself talking in the past tense.

Unless you're a complete moron, you probably realized that I'm moving. I have to move to a town called Konoha in a different country to live with my mom and sisters for the rest of my high school years. According to my mom, this was an "opportunity I couldn't refuse."

As we walked to the parlor, I looked over at my best friend. Out of everyone, she would be whom I would miss the most. Sure, I loved my dad, but I couldn't talk to him like I do with Mari.

When she saw me looking at her, she frowned. "Why the long face? You're not leaving yet. Let's have fun." Then she smiled.

I loved Mari. She could always put me in a good mood, no matter what.

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When we entered the parlor, poppers went off as everyone shouted, "Surprise!"

I stared in awe. Draped on the wall across the room was a banner that read, "We'll miss you!"

All of my friends were there. Gaara, my best guy friend, smiled as he came over to hug me. We'd gone out a few times last year, but it was too awkward. We're just good friends. I hugged him back.

Temari and Kankuro were there, too. They were Gaara's older siblings. Temari was in college now, but she was home for the summer. I was so glad that everyone I cared about was here.

A flash from behind startled me so much that I jumped. Everyone started laughing as I turned to find…"Dad?" I ran to hug him. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled. "Well, your friends told me what was going on, and you know how I love parties! Now, let's have some cake and ice cream!"

I turned with my friends as I made as many memories as possible to take with me.

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The next day, Mari came with my dad and I to the airport. We wanted to spend as much time together as possible before I left.

After getting my luggage checked in, we waited for the plane to come.

None of us talked much, only to make small comments and ease the growing tension between us as we waited for what was to come. I wondered what my new home would be like. I tried to picture the house I was going to live in, but I gave up after trying for a while. My eldest sister, Makiko, had tried to describe it over the phone, but she was never good at trying to get her point across in the simplest way possible.

What would it be like to see my sisters? They were twins, both eighteen. I hadn't seen Makiko or Kento since they moved away with Mom. I always felt distant because of the age difference, but we were still very close. Will it still be the same?

"All passengers on flight 277 to Konoha Airport, please board now," came a voice over the speakers.

I turned to Mari. "I'm coming to visit over winter break, so I'll see you then."

She nodded. "I'll miss you." She hugged me.

I felt tears begin to fill my eyes. I held them back, not wanting to cry.

I turned to my dad. He smiled then hugged me as well. "Call me when you get there. I love you, kiddo."

I smiled. "I love you too, Dad."

"Last call for the flight to Konoha," came the voice again.

I gave a small wave before turning to head for my new destiny.

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_Please tell me if you want me to keep updating!!_

_Ta :)_


	2. My New Home

_Here's my next chapter. I hope you like it!_**

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**Making Ends Meet**

Chapter 2

My plane ride was for about twelve hours, but for me, it felt like eternity. When we reached the airport, I make a small prayer that this change in my life would be good for me.

After we landed, I found my luggage and went to find my mom and sisters. I was so lost in thought that I passed them without a word.

I stopped when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see my sister, Kento. "You completely passed us up there," she said.

"Oh, I did? Oops," I replied.

She laughed. "You haven't changed at all." She hugged me.

I laughed with her. "I could say the same to you. Where are Mom and Makiko?"

"Here we are," my mom said as she came over to hug me as well. Our family is huge on hugging. Oh well, there's nothing wrong with it. "How are you doing? Your flight was good?" she asked.

"Yeah, Mom. I just want to go home and sleep," I replied. "Where's Makiko?"

"She's outside in the car. Here in Konoha, you can't get your license until you're eighteen. She just passed her test, so she wants to practice as much as possible," Kento replied.

We all went out to the car, Makiko at the wheel. She gave me a small greeting as we started off, but then whenever someone tried to talk, she told us to shut up, saying that she had to concentrate.

I took in the surroundings of my new home. The streets were well cared for and trees lined them on each side. Now that it was autumn, the leaves were different shades of red and gold. Some were falling off, swirling around the car. The houses were of average size, and some looked like they were straight from a historical movie. _This is a great place for a walk_, I thought.

The next street we turned on was full of cottages of every color. There were pinks, greens, blues, yellows, whites, and even purples! My eyes were as wide as possible from trying to take it all in.

"And here's our street," my mother said as we turned down another lane.

I gasped as we pulled up to a stunning house. It was made with a red brick and had three floors, if you could call them that. The different rooms curled around each other, some coming up in medieval-like towers. It was like a castle! "Is this our house?" I asked in awe.

Makiko turned to look at me. "Of course it's our house. Didn't I describe it well enough?"

I slowly shook my head, still speechless. Mom and Kento laughed as we got out of the car. We grabbed my suitcases and walked up the pathway to the door. Mom got out her key and unlocked the door.

When I entered the house, I quickly dropped my luggage and ran around the house, exploring. I found the kitchen, living room, bathroom, master bedroom, and my sisters' rooms.

Then I opened the door to one of the towers, and was amazed by what I saw. The room had a wooden floor and walls, but yet was warm and cozy. There was a small fireplace and bookshelf filled with books on one wall, while a small couch was against another. I opened another door to find my own bathroom. Coming back out, I noticed a large rug in the center of the room. It had intricate designs on it, and when I stood in the center and looked up, there was a skylight above me. Then I saw the spiral staircase.

I ran up the stairs, eagerly waiting to see what was up there. When I reached the top, I found a bed with a crimson red comforter on it, my favorite color. Next to it was a window that stuck out and, when opened, had a clear view of the moon. The window sheet was cushioned and exactly my size, perfect. Across the alcove was a desk with a laptop computer and digital camera on it. I walked over to find a note sitting on top.

_Sayuri,_

_So, what do you think of your room? I felt so jealous when we were decorating it, but you completely deserve it. The laptop is for you, it's for school and home. I've already set up your email, so take that camera and send some pictures of your adorable room to Mari! Tell her I said hello!_

_Makiko_

I smiled as I closed the note. I sat down and opened my new sleek laptop. It was black and lightweight, great for carrying to school. I leaned over and found a black messenger bag against my desk. Then I grabbed the camera, took many pictures, and wrote an email to Mari, telling her that everything was going okay. After that, I leaned against my pillow and fell asleep.

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_I hope you like this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. I loved thinking of what Sayuri's room looked like. Please review!_

_Ta :)_


	3. First Friends

_Yay!!! Third chapter up!!_**

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**Making Ends Meet**

Chapter 3

When I woke up it was already afternoon. After taking a quick shower, I went downstairs to find my mom and sisters sitting at the table, waiting for me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait," I apologized.

"Yeah, we're all starving, so don't do it again," Makiko replied.

Mom hit her on the head playfully. "She's kidding. We just sat down. Come have some lunch."

I sat down as we all started to talk about the day. Mom told me that tomorrow I had to go to my new school to meet my teachers and fill out some paperwork. The school I'm going to is known in Konoha as "The Academy." It's a special school that focuses in medical studies. The headmistress of the school was a famous doctor known for her intellect and skill. You have to be selected to attend it, which means that my mom has to have some pretty important connections to enroll me during my 10th year. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to tell anyone that I'm going there just yet.

I was about to go upstairs to my room when my mom stopped me. "Sayuri, will you take this package across the street? A nice boy lives there that I think you would like to meet."

I walked across the street, breathing in the fresh air and admiring the beauty of my new home. When I reached the house, a boy with blond hair and blue eyes opened the door. He was a few inches taller than me and looked to be about my age.

I smiled. "Hi I'm-"

"Mrs. Kamashi's youngest daughter?" My mouth fell open and he laughed. "We all knew you were coming. Your mother's been talking about it for weeks."

I blushed. I didn't know that my mom was so excited to have me live with her.

The boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Welcome to Konoha."

I laughed and shook his hand. "Sayuri. I'm just wondering, did you have that rehearsed or something?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I couldn't wait to meet you, and I didn't want to sound like a dork when I did.

I laughed again. "You sort of defeated that purpose."

"Would you like to come inside?" he asked, opening the door wider. I followed him in and looked around in awe. Naruto's house was like a dream. It was nicely furnished with rugs, wooden floors, and carpet. There was a blazing fireplace in one corner. Right next to the front door was a staircase leading to the second floor.

"Wow," was all that I could say. "But where are your parents?" Naruto immediately looked crestfallen, as if he was disappointed in something. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," I added.

"No, it's okay," he replied. "My parents are always working, meeting clients, and going on business trips, the usual. Sometimes it feels like they don't exist." He gave a forced smile.

I had a strange need to make Naruto feel better. His smile could light up a room; I could even feel the warmth from him. It just didn't feel right for him not to be smiling. "Hey, why don't you show me around town? I just got here last night."

Naruto instantly perked up. "Yeah, it's no problem. You can meet all my friends!" he exclaimed while pulling me out the door.

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Naruto and I were walking down a lane in Konoha, the hot sun shining down on us. "Okay, seriously, where are we going?" I asked for the tenth time.

"You'll see," he replied with a grin. "It's one of my favorite places in Konoha, so I want to surprise you."

As we continued walking, we talked about our lives in general. I told him about my life in Suna and my old friends. He even got me to open up about the divorce, which is like a miracle to me. I've never been comfortable around guys, except Gaara, so him and Naruto feel like my brothers.

Suddenly Naruto stopped walking and I had to sidestep to avoid bumping into him. When I looked up to ask what he was doing, his gaze was locked on something behind me. I turned and gasped as I saw a beautiful park. There were trees surrounding the edges and a meadow of flowers on my left. On the other side was a huge lake that stretched as far as the eye can see.

"Naruto!" a voice shouted from nearby. When we turned to the right, I saw a girl with long brown hair tied up in two buns and brown eyes. She was jumping up and down, waving her arms.

Then another girl walked over to stand with Brown Eyes. She had a long ponytail that went to her waist and blue eyes. She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Hey, Naruto, you finally got a girlfriend!" she added.

Naruto and I started to blush as we walked over to join them, who were by a huge tree. Blue Eyes skipped over to me and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Ino Yamanaka. It's nice to meet you."

I took her hand, liking her friendly vibe. "Sayuri Kamashi. I just moved here."

"My name is Kiba Inuzuka," the boy sitting at the base of the tree said. He raised his hand in greeting. His little white dog ran over and knocked me to the ground, all the while licking my face. "Oh, and that's Akamaru," Kiba added as we all started to laugh.

Brown Eyes gave me a small wave. "I'm Tenten. Where did you move here from?" she asked.

"Well, my parents are divorced, and I used to live in Suna with my dad," I replied.

Naruto started jumping up and down, suddenly becoming excited. "We had an exchange student from Suna! But what was his name…" He stopped jumping, a confused look on his face.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Gaara."

"Oh yeah…" Naruto stared off into space.

Gaara? I remember when he went away, but I didn't realize that he came here. Little bells went off in my head. Gaara told me about Naruto! He said that they were like brothers, but who was the other guy? Wow, I'm starting to sound like Naruto.

"Yeah, Naruto and Gaara were always hanging out," Ino remarked. She looked up in the tree. "Sasuke, you were good friends with Gaara too, right?"

My eyes widened. I didn't know that anyone was in the tree. Furthermore, his name was Sasuke! Gaara told me a lot about him, but his description didn't give the accurate picture. The boy sitting there had dark black hair, almost blue in the sun. His matching black eyes were set in a cold, hard stare. This couldn't be the Sasuke that Gaara was talking about, or is it?

Naruto looked around as if he was missing something. Gosh, he sure had a lot of mood swings. "Hey, where's Lee?" he asked. Another person? This is the most people I've ever met at one time.

"He wasn't feeling too well. Gai-sensei made him run extra laps after school," Tenten replied. She turned to me. "Lee is known as Gai-sensei's disciple." You'll meet him at school."

I couldn't wait. Of course, they didn't know that I _wasn't_ going to their school. Maybe I should tell them. "I…"

"Look, the sun's going down!" Naruto shouted, interrupting me. "I love watching the sunset from here. Race you, Sayuri!" He started towards one of many benches around the lake.

I guess I can always tell them later. I said goodbye to my new friends before racing after him.

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_I hope you liked it!_

_Ta :D_


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